Chewing gum base



Patented; Apr. 19,- 1932 UNITED -STATES PATENT OFF-ICE r, LEON W GELLER, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN CHICLE COM- IPANY, OF LONG ISLAND CITY, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK CHEWING GUM BASE No Drawing.

,, chlorparaflin resins, in such manner that the base thereby produced is substantially free from any sticky or waxy properties and disintegrating effect upon the rubber by the added ingredients is avoided. It has heretofore been proposed to employ cumaron resin as an ingredient, but not the principal ingredient, of bases for chewing gums, but, being a coal tar product, it'is undesirable, and requires the use of relatively large proportions of pure chicle.

- It has also been proposed to employj with apan 'For a softer base I take 7 parts of the hard rubber, various waxes and oils such as wax, parafiin, hydrogenated peanut oil, etc., but the result has generally been disintegration of the rubber, so that after depolymerization of the rubber by the said oils, fats or waxes, it has been found necessary to remove the latter or a substantial proportion of the same. It has also been proposed to employ colophony in the form of a glycerol ester in conjunction with so-called vulcanized oil, but the base thereby made has the tendency vto disintegrate and is open to other objections; The various obj ectionstothe hereto.- fore proposed synthetic chewing bases incorporating rubber are overcome by the present invention in the production of a tasteless base, resistant to disintegration, having the neial physical characteristics of a chiclease and at the same time of greatly lessened cost.

As an; example of my. invention I take 'chlorparafiin resin and mix it with depolymerized crepe rubber. The mixture is heated,

cooled andre-heated, whereupon the rubber will dissolve in the resin mixture. The'mix-. ture may then be cooled and kneaded until it forms a homogeneous mass. Chlorparaflin resin consists generally of paraflin dissolved'in carbon tetrachloride and subjectedto chlorine gas preferably in the presence of a catalyzer. The depolymerization of the rubber um I be eflected, if desired, w1th the chlorpara resins, and I have observed that the harder the resin the better the depoly- Applieation filed October 2, 192 8. Serial'No. 309,896.

meriaation will. be. Toeflect depolymerization, the mixed resin and rubber is subjected to heat, forexample a temperature of about 120 C. for a period of time suflicient to effect the .depolymerization.

As a specific example of my inventionItake 2 parts of hard chlorparafiin resin, that is to say a resin in which the chlorine treatment has been continued until the resin at ordinary temperature has somewhat the physical characteristics of pine rosin, and 1 part 'of soft chlorparaflin resin, that is to say a resin in the production of which the chlorine treatment has been stopped when the resin assumes a thicksomewhat fluid form, and 1 part of depolymerized rubber. This forms a chewing gum base which I term the tough base.

base, in accordance with the specific physical characteristics of the base required. The

resins and depolymerized rubber may be mixed by melting them together in a steam bath, cooling the melt and kneading the same until the desired homogeneous mass is obtained.

A chewing base of very excellent uality may be made by combining a relative y soft base composed of the soft chlorparaflin resin, the hard chlorparaflin resin, and depolymerized' rubber, for example in the proportion of 7, 7, l-parts respectively, with a very tough.

'base which of itself shows relatively low elasticity and ductility. As an example of this,

very tough base I may employ 10'parts of soft chlorparaffin resin, 25 parts of hard meriz'ed rubber.

The two. bases may be mixed in-the desired proportions, as for example equal proportions, by melting t em together in a steam bath, cooling the be, oh andm'ixing or kneads Having described myqinvention what I chlorpa raflt'ln resin and 10 parts of 'depoly- 1. A chewing gum base comprising a mixture of soft chlorparaifin resin, hard chlorparafiin' resin and depolymerizeci rubber, the resin being in excess of the rubber.

2. A chewing gum base comprising ch1or parafiin resin and rubber, the resin predominating in volume.

In testimony Wh name to this specifi ereof, I have signed my cation. I v LEON W; GELLER. 

